Nina Dobrev – The Sporadic Chronicles

The Vampire Diaries: Season 4 (2012 – 2013)

Posted on July 25, 2016March 31, 2017 by Zoë

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

Klaus being alive and well and with us. Seriously, we are attached to this guy.
It is amazing when Klaus and Damon “work” together.
Damon Salvatore. Yes, I am going to say it again. And again. And again. He always knows how to just make everything hilarious (refusing to take things seriously is totally healthy).

It breaks my heart, but how Damon still considers Alaric his best friend, even though he is gone, and won’t let anyone sit on Alaric’s spot in the bar, and drinks at Alaric’s grave with him. So many feels!
Klaus and Caroline’s date at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant – I swear, he was like a child. She unleashes a totally different side of him and I love it to bits!

Damon and Elena finally kicking it together. We have been waiting for this for like… forever!
Klaus returning for Caroline’s graduation, and his adamant attitude that Caroline might love Tyler now, he intends to be her last love. I want to see this happen. These two drive me freaking wild! Their chemistry is insane!

The Originals pilot that was inserted in here – it was quite interesting all round.
Getting to see some more Elijah this season. It has been a while.

What I didn’t like:

How absolutely freaking annoying Elena became. I mean, I know I complained last season about jerking the guys around, but this incessant whining is super frustrating.
All the characters are actually whining and bitching this season – Bonnie especially.
How much more Elena can you squeeze into one show?
Everyone is screwing each other over, but let bygones be bygones the moment it happens, right? Who needs drama?
Damon finally getting a chance with Elena, and yet it is so cold, I haven’t seen the absolute passion she had with Stefan yet, and that crushes me.
Stefan is so self-righteous in this season! I get it must seriously suck when your brother gets your girl, but do you have to be so nasty about how it is only because of the sire bond?
Speaking of – Elena being sired to Damon was just so freaking uncalled for. It’s like nothing can happen for Damon without some hidden reason, without some other cause, it could never just be because he and Elena are clicking. It also totally undermined their relationship.
The whole hunter story line had way more potential than was ultimately realised, which was disappointing.
The cure story line also annoyed me. Endlessly.
Elena turning off her humanity just got beyond annoying.

Rating:
This season lost a bit of the traction that the last few had built on, and that was pretty sad. Not that it was bad, it was just not as good as the last two. When it started with Elena being turned, I just knew that there were going to be dramatics I had no time for, and I sure as hell wasn’t wrong there. I was a big fan of seeing Alaric come back from time to time, I sure as hell miss the guy. Rebekah was also in full evil swing here, showing you that the whole Mikaelson family is not too healthy upstairs. Kol annoyed me, too (and there is actually potential here for other things), and the inclusion of Professor Creepy (Shane) also didn’t help – I was irritated whenever we had to deal with his character, even when it was to help Bonnie. A regular, functioning Stefan returning was really great though, and I thought that the show handled the tension between the brothers due to Elena really well. I was not impressed with the way that Elena is finally with Damon, and the show manages to make it all wrong, like he is forcing her, or she was compelled to because of a sire bond. Come on, man, is Damon not allowed anything? On the Damon from, of course, I just wanted to have his hair cut, and it was crushing to watch him drinking alone, missing Alaric, and being really lonely after his death, but it was also nice to see him with Elena, even though that came with a ton of guilt. Speaking of feeling bad, there is the Caroline/Klaus/Tyler thing to consider. I mean, I do like Caroline and Tyler together, I always thought it was as real sweet thing, but goodness, when Caroline and Klaus are together, it’s like the universe is in sync. Forever. She is a challenge for him, he finds a good place inside himself, and they just click like few others. I want to see more, even though I know it will crush Tyler, I just don’t care. I am so cold like that. I know Klaus is bad, but we all love him. Come on, we do. The hunter story arc was something that had so much more potential than was used, and that was a real pity. Instead, it was really just meh at the best of times. So flat. Jeremy and Bonnie dying (at different places, of course) was not cool, and the consequences because of both deaths was something else. I was not a fan of Elena becoming even more whiny than ever before when she turned off her humanity, and it was cool to see Damon track after her all the way to try and bring her back. He loves her, man, really. Bonnie dying means Silas got out, which leads to some horrible consequences for Stefan, whom I really just feel sorry for. He cannot seem to catch a break at all. Oh gosh, then, the pinnacle of this whole goddamn season? The fucking cure. Yes. That is how much is pissed me off. What a convoluted and annoying plot. I don’t even really want to get into it, but goodness, could we waste our time any more than we did?! WHY?! Anyway, a decent watch, but not as solid as the last two seasons, too many histrionics all round.

The Vampire Diaries: Season 3 (2011 – 2012)

Posted on July 11, 2016March 31, 2017 by Zoë

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

How close Damon and Elena have gotten, though it is just unfair on everyone. I mean really. All this means is someone gets hurt.
Stefan going off the deep end and being all cuckoo crazy. Love. Really, so entertaining, considering how uptight he always is.
The amount of Klaus in this season. The man is amazing. I mean, crazy and all hell, but gorgeous and solid in his convictions and always goes beyond what is required about everything. He is so unpredictable! Yes, that entertains the hell out of me. And Elijah, if only he got more screen time.
Some Mikaelson history in this season, and that is always appreciated.
Damon Salvatore. Oh. My. Gosh. That guy gets more and more amazing every time I see him, and his character development is insanely interesting, too.
Klaus and Caroline. Oh. My. Gosh. He seems genuinely taken with her, and she is sassy enough to deal with his crap, which is fascinating to watch. And I just want to see this work hahahaha.
The plotting, the scheming, all things fantastic!
Damon and Alaric – that bromance is just so much fun!

How tight the Salvatore brothers are – again, they might love/hate each other, but they are the only ones to have that right.
Klaus’s hybrid army obsession, and then, of course, the meeting with Papa Mikaelson. Like whoa!

What I didn’t like:

The sheer amount of insane plots that were squeezed into one season. It was heavy.
Alaric going all cuckoo and being written off. Really, who do these people think they are? NOT ON.
How convoluted some of the Originals plotlines are. I mean really, I was waiting on so much more potential here. I know I praised it above – it was a bit of a mixed bag. Also, I want so much more Elijah man.
The love triangle. I knew that this was coming, but freaking hell, I hate these things. I think they are the ugliest and most unfair things in the world.
Bonnie and Jeremy drifting apart – I know they didn’t really get a crap load of screen time, but they work absolute wonders together. Ugh. They just had to bring Anna back to throw a pin in that one.
Rebekah was quite the annoyance, I have to admit. Okay, a really big annoyance.
Caroline’s dad. Sure, steadfast in his beliefs and all, but come on dude!

Rating:
Back to another super busy season, that, while good, was not as good as the last season. I found it interesting to watch the lengths that Stefan would go to to protect his brother, and his unfeeling, nasty side was such a different, crazy character. This season spent a lot of time trying to get things cozier with Damon and Elena, and I don’t always think that worked too well, but the point was made – she was falling just a bit for him, but like I said, it didn’t always feel real. Elena was clinging to the old Stefan, which was actually painful to watch at times because it got really grating.

Then there was the whole Klaus thing. I like Klaus. He is crazy and insane, but he is incredibly entertaining to watch, and I think he is very interesting. I love the dynamics between him and Elijah, another thing that is great. I also truly did enjoy the concept of Klaus having a soft spot for Caroline – it is a creepily satisfying option I would like to see explored. It was with Caroline that we got the first real chink in Klaus’s whole facade, when he went to save her from Tyler’s bite, and had a real romantic outlook on the rest of her life. It was so beautiful it stunned me and I just didn’t trust it, but the more I watched, the more it seemed evident that it was a genuine thing for him, so wow. Just… Klaus and Caroline together is one of the things that makes me beyond happy. She is snippy and snappy with him, but he is endlessly fascinated by her, and that comes through in every scene. Let’s not even forget to mention the chemistry those two share – wow!

Now, the whole love triangle (Damon/Elena/Stefan) thing got annoying. We all knew it was coming, but I found it so unfair that when she was free to be with Damon, she didn’t do it, and when Stefan came back, she was all uhm and ah about them, even though Stefan didn’t want her. I think her and Damon could be great together. Stefan is the safer option, sure, but Damon is the one where you see passion igniting, and some danger, which was cool.

Naturally there are all the crazy plotsies around the Originals – fascinating at times, frustrating at others. I think this is because there is just so much more to their family dynamic than can be squeezed into one show where they are not the leads (lucky for us, there is a spin-off, and it’s great). I totally could have done with more Elijah Mikaelson, the man is fascinating, but I was super stoked to have so much more Klaus in this season. The man is bona fide crazy, but so ridiculously compelling.

Anyway, the season finale really was depressingly sad. Damon had his heart wrenched out and stomped on, which was bad enough. But then he was was fighting the super creepy, dark, scary vampire hunter Dark Side Alaric, and when Dark Alaric was dying, there was a moment when Damon realised Alaric was really dying, and that meant that Elena was dying, too, and it just got so much worse. Like really. His face, his panic, his heartbreak? It was horrible. Like, I wasn’t even concerned about Stefan at that point. Overall, another really good, solid season, and worth a watch!

The Vampire Diaries: Season 1 (2009 – 2010)

Posted on June 13, 2016March 22, 2017 by Zoë

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

What I liked:

Damon is such a jackass, but it is entertaining. Gosh, if everyone were like Elena and Stefan I would lose my cool, it would be so boring. Damon brings some spice to the show, and takes take a little to warm up to, which I think was the point. He is unapologetic about being a toolbag, and that makes him even more fascinating. Biggest reason I stuck around, no jokes. He is great.
Alaric Saltzman is very cool, but I was an even bigger fan of the begrudging alliance that developed between him and Damon, they really couldn’t stand each other, yet made it work.
When the Salvatore brothers do stand together, even when they don’t want to, it shows that they are a force to be reckoned with.
How the vampires manage to infiltrate the Founders Council. Well played, guys, well played.
Seeing bits and pieces of the Salvatores past.
The relationship between Stefan and Elena. While not an easy one, they fit together really well (surprisingly) and don’t necessarily make me want to retch, which is a change from most teen dramas. They are so similar.
How the show progressively got better with each episode – and I had written it off after the first few. It actually took some time but really started catching when the ball finally started rolling.

What I didn’t like:

The score. I know, I always moan about that in these kinds of shows, but really. At least every here and there they threw me a bone, but not really much to look forward to.
“Dear Diary”… I mean seriously now! I didn’t think that was a for real thing when I saw “The Vampire Diaries”. Sheesh. Mistaken me.
I love the way these guys are supposed to be teens… and they just look like men. I don’t know if things are maybe just different in the States, but when I think of the guys I went to school with, none of them looked like freaking men. Just saying.
When you are supposed to be seventeen, but you can say your ex-girlfriend and playing football was “a long time ago”, what exactly do you mean? WTF is a long time ago for a girlfriend and football when you are only seventeen?
Tyler Lockwood is such a dweeb. Really. Although, when you start to see what a twat his dad is, so much about him starts to make sense.
Matt Donovan is so damn needy and interfering, and that really grated on me.
Why are first expressions of love always followed by sex in shows/movies? It is the most annoying thing in the world!
Caroline Forbes is the biggest irritation ever. She is needy, snippy, jealous, competitive, shallow, bitchy, insecure and whines. So not the kind of combination that is any fun.

Rating:
Coercion. That is how I ended up here. That, and Natasha’s penchant for teen drama 😉 So, right off the bat, let’s not even try to pretend this is anything other than a teen drama. It also has one of the worst opening (half) seasons ever. It takes forever to even try bring in some stories, and instead spends a chunk of time focused on a depressed girl and her crazy obsession with the new boy, who happens to be a vampire. At least this is not the same unhealthy crap as Twilight, I would just like that to be say. Elena Gilbert might be sad and all that, but she moves on, and as much as she loves Stefan, she still has some wits about her. It’s not just about being with him forever.

Eventually the season finds traction and moves on and actually becomes quite entertaining. Moving on – I am a huge fan of Damon Salvatore. I came for the mindless television watching, and unashamedly stayed for him. He is just immensely awesome. He is such a toolbag, but spends no time even remotely trying to hide it, and the show succeeds in making you take some time to warm up to him, which suits him completely. I also love the relationship between the brothers. It sure as hell is not an easy one, and they hate each other, yet they exclusively hold the right to execute the other. Goodness forbid someone else tries to do this.

The Vampire Diaries has so many characters going at any given moment, but you grow to love or hate them. I absolutely cannot stand Vicki Donovan and Caroline Forbes. Vicki is a nuisance, and Caroline is so weak and whiny and useless. Jeremy is whiny, but changes. Tyler Lockwood is also a total douchebag, but when you see what his home situation is, you are a little more tolerant of him being a dweeb. Bonnie is a character I thoroughly enjoy, though it takes some time for her to get into her things. I am pleased as punch with the addition of Alaric – really cool character and I like him and Jena together a lot. Man, I am going to stop here. These are just some of the characters.

I thought the plot to take out all the vampires in town was hectic, and it was great to see how the brothers will go to extreme lengths to protect each other. I gotta say, when they stand together, it is absolutely brilliant. Let’s take a second to look at the whole concept that Elena’s real dad is actually her “uncle”, and that her mother is a vampire, a woman who was at one point Alaric’s wife. This is just messy and nasty, yet they rolled with it, and so it worked with the show. There are so many little plots littered all over the show, but they are all pretty interesting.

I like how Elena and Damon start becoming friends as the show progresses, although they are never really tight. It gets me that all the time how Damon is always the one doing the big, difficult things that Stefan can’t (especially for Elena), and yet he is still treated terribly. That being said, what he did in connection with Lexy was heinous and unforgivable. But moving past that, there is so much more to him. I do think that Elena and Stefan work absolute wonders together, and complement each other every step of the way. Also, things aren’t too sloppy between them that all you want to do is retch watching them, which is great. On the other hand, Elena has fantastic chemistry with Damon.

There weren’t too many plots going on in this season, and it was a little messy, what with a lot of the characters having partners then not then having again (Jena and Jeremy are the main culprits here). Anyway, this is the kind of the show that is mindlessly entertaining. Though the first season starts off quite rocky, it finally does find its feet and build momentum, and the mood is dark and broody, so I can totally see why this appeals to adults.

Rapid Review: The Final Girls (2015)

Posted on November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 by Zoë

“Camp Bloodbath is like the granddaddy of all campsite slasher films, okay. Amazing production design, insane music, over-the-top acting. It’s a cult classic!”
– Duncan

SYNOPSIS: A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom’s most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film’s maniacal killer. – via IMDB

Yes. This. Excellent. I know, I sound like a bumbling, incoherent fool, but that’s because this movie was just that good. Like, seriously. I didn’t have super high hopes for it, though there are fellow bloggers of mine that thoroughly enjoyed it. Why? Because, well, often these horror comedy endeavours just go so wrong. This is not the case here. Within the opening few minutes, I was laughing. There was potential. So, to see where it was all going to go, that was the important bit. Luckily for us, The Final Girls delivers on so many levels. The humour is maintained throughout the film, and while I can not say that this was a horror in any which way, I can acknowledge that it relied heavily on old school horror to use as a setting to tell the story, and fans of horror will love the implementation that was used to portray the movie. It was spans of fun. I mean, there was the über disgusting Kurt, and his obsession with sex and the female anatomy was so nasty. Then, of course, there was the cuckoo Tina. She started as super annoying, and don’t get me wrong, that didn’t necessarily improve, but she did provide a barrel of laughs – especially if you recall her Adderall induced Cherry Pie moment. Taissa Farmiga was very good here, though I expected that. Alexander Ludwig was a solid pick for his role, and I particularly enjoyed him, though I do miss his accent and just plain down intimidation factor from Vikings. Don’t even judge me, monkeys! One thing that I also really liked about The Final Girls is that, no matter how much fun we are having throughout, it very successfully manages to bring some serious heart to the film, and not to the extent where you roll your eyes and wonder why in the world they are pissing something so good away, but you are left exceptionally impressed with the fact that they integrated it so successfully. Anyway, I must admit that The Final Girls is one smart horror comedy, and is fresh and unique, definitely something that horror fans might enjoy on the level of The Cabin In The Woods. The cast was perfect for this, it was shot well, the music was complementary, the jokes were excellent and there was tons of fun to be had all around. The Final Girls is that something different, if you are looking for a change of scenery in the tired horror genre.

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